Chronic pain is clinically a very common disease, which means the pain that lasts for over one month. Chronic pain is figuratively regarded as “die of cancer”. Chronic pain results from Yuanshang disease. According to statistics, the incidence of chronic pain in China is about 35%-45% at present, and higher in old people, which is about 75%-90%. Chronic pain not only brings patients physical discomfort, but also indicates physical deterioration or health crisis in some parts. Because of its long persistent period and refractory characteristics, chronic pain results in functional disorder of body, decreased immunity and various complications, eventually leading to a series of psychological, behavioral, family and social problems, thereby significantly influences the life quality of patients and brings tremendous loss to society.
Chronic pain has always been occupied by analgesics, mainly Western medicine, such as ibuprofen, opioids, which are attended with good results. However, studies demonstrate that up to above 50% of the patients still can not be sufficiently relieved of pain after analgesic therapy with Western medicine. Some patients even develop psychological dependence and physical dependence in varying degrees due to long-term analgesics therapy, thereby further decreasing the life quality of patients. Meanwhile, Western medicine may result in certain side effects. For example, ibuprofen may result in side effects such as dyspepsia, rash, increase in transaminase. Time reports that, taking ibuprofen chronically may result in renal failure; taking opioids may result in side effects such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, excessive appeasement, biliary colic, uroschesis, mental derangement and neurotoxicity, respiratory depression and drug dependence. Traditional Chinese medicine attracts extensive attention from medical community due to low side effects thereof.
Cinnamon bark is the dry tree bark of the lauraceae plant cinnamon, which is listed as top grade in ancient herbal medicine. Cinnamon bark oil is the volatile oil obtained from extracting dry branches and leaves of cinnamon bark by water vapor distillation, which can be used as fragrance. Cinnamon bark contains 1%-2% volatile oil, which is a yellow or yellow brown clear liquid; and has a specific aroma of cinnamon bark, sweet and spicy taste. Exposed in air or deposited for a long time, the colour darkens and the consistency becomes dense. Cinnamon bark oil is extensively used in medicine, food and light chemical industry.
Myristica fragrans Houtt is an aiphyllium from Myristica, Myristicaceae, which is mainly produced from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and China Sichuan and Guangxi. Nutmeg oil is obtained from extracting the seeds by water vapor distillation, with an oil yield of 6%-10%. Nutmeg oil is a liquid between achromatic color and light yellow colour, with a relative density of 30.883-30.917, a refractive index of 1.475-1.488 and thick, fresh and sweet and spicy taste. The main ingredients of nutmeg oil include nutmeg phenol ether, eugenol, isoeugenol, linalool, geraniol, safrole, camphol, limonene, pinene and so on.
Currently, there is no report concerning the combined use of cinnamon bark oil and nutmeg oil, let alone any reports the synergistic effect obtained in relieving pain after combined use.